Characterization and experimental verification of the rotating synthetic aperture optical imaging system

Abstract

The rotating synthetic aperture (RSA) optical imaging system employs a rectangular primary mirror for detection. During the imaging process, the primary mirror rotates around the center to achieve the aperture equivalent to the long side of the rectangle at different rotation angles. As a result, the system’s point spread function changes over time, causing periodic time-varying characteristics in the acquired images’ resolution. Moreover, due to the rectangular primary mirror, the images obtained by the RSA system are spatially asymmetric, with a lower resolution in the short side’s direction than in the long side’s direction. Hence, image processing techniques are necessary to enhance the image quality. To provide reference for the study of image quality improvement methods, we first characterize the imaging quality degradation mechanism of the RSA system and the time–space evolution law of the imaging process. We then establish an imaging experiment platform to simulate the dynamic imaging process of the RSA system. We quantify the RSA system’s impact on image degradation using objective indexes. Subsequently, by comparing the imaging experiment results with theoretical analysis, we verify the spatially asymmetric and temporally periodic imaging characteristics of the RSA system. Lastly, we introduce image super-resolution experiments to assess the limitations of directly applying generic deep learning-based single image super-resolution methods to the images captured by the RSA system, thereby revealing the challenges involved in improving image quality for the RSA system.

Exploring Wavefront Detection in Imaging Systems with Rectangular Apertures Using Phase Diversity

“…Through the fusion of images captured at various angles, a high-resolution image is generated, utilizing the long side of the rectangular primary mirror as the equivalent diameter. Harbin Institute of Technology carried out a comprehensive study on this technology using simulation and experiments [ 8 , 9 , 10 ], explained the imaging principle of the RSA system, and analyzed the impact of factors such as the pupil aspect ratio and the rotation of the primary mirror. Yagnyatinskiy [ 11 ] simulated the influence function of the actuator in the rectangular deformable mirror and investigated the correction technology of the rectangular mirror surface.…”